Be A Growing Christian Congratulations! Receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord was the right decision.
How privileged you are to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ -- Creator and Lord of the universe.
As in any relationship, it should develop and grow. There may be times of misunderstanding. Of adjustments. Of getting acquainted. Do not give up. Jesus is supremely worth the effort!
You have an exciting time ahead of you. You will learn and experience many new things. There will be times of trial and temptation -- but do not fear. Jesus promised He would never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
You were born into a new family. Now you need to grow and develop to your full potential in Christ.
For your relationship with Jesus Christ to develop and grow -- communication is necessary. That is done mainly as you pray and read the Bible.
So you can know Jesus, He sent His Holy Spirit, and gave His written Word, the Holy Bible.
No doubt you have many questions. Be assured that there are answers. However, you cannot expect to get them all answered today. Just as a young child cannot understand everything, so you may need to learn and grow, before you will be able to comprehend some things, too.
Ask questions. There are answers. Do not give up. Keep seeking -- you will find.
Remember, Jesus loves you and will never forsake you!
SOME POINTERS 1. Publicly Acknowledge Jesus Christ MATTHEW 10:32-33 NKJ
32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
33 "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.Baptism in water is one way of doing this. It should also be done by telling someone that Jesus is your Lord.
2. Receive The Holy Spirit Before Jesus left Earth for Heaven, He told us He would not leave us alone. He said He would send another One to help us, like Himself, Who would live with us forever (John 14:16-18). He told His disciples not to begin their ministry until they had received the Holy Spirit.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given as a gift. Since then, all who will, can receive Him by faith. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit now. By faith in God's Word believe you receive. Luke 11:13 (Write for further information.)
3. Feed On The Bible The Bible is the highest authority on the Earth. God's Word is His message to you. It is nourishment for your spiritual life. You need to "feed" on it. Read it. Study it. Speak it. Think about it.
1 PETER 2:2 NKJ
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,MATTHEW 4:4 NKJ
4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "ACTS 20:32 NKJ
32 "And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.Speak In Agreement With The Bible MATTHEW 12:36-37 NKJ
36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."You have probably been trained how to talk by the world system for many years. What you say is very important. Now, you need to learn from the Bible what God says, and talk in agreement with Him.
HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.One main temptation you will face is to not believe God's Word. You will be tempted to speak opposite to what the Bible says. Do not give in.
HEBREWS 3:1 NKJ
1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,HEBREWS 4:14 NKJ
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.Jesus is your Heavenly Representative. He represents what you say (your confession). So, say what the Bible says.
4. Pray Prayer is communication with God. He is not too busy to hear you. Talk to Him as you would with a respected friend.
There are many types of prayer. Such as making requests, giving thanks, praise, and confession of sins. Each one should be studied from the Scripture. But remember, prayer is first talking to God. He desires a relationship with you.
5. Worship God With Your Money Your money represents your time, your life. As a Christian, all you own belongs to God -- and all He has is yours. The Lord has ordained that you should express your worship of Him in tangible ways -- such as giving your money. The Bible teaches that ten percent of all you have and make, is an acceptable starting place for your giving. When you do that and put God first, He will bless you.
6. Fellowship With Other Believers There is strength in unity. When you are part of a group they can help you when you need it, and you can help others when they need it.
There is strength in numbers. You will be able to accomplish things as a group that you could not as an individual.
Find other believers who honor Jesus as Lord and the Bible as His written Word. If you are fortunate enough to live where there are several groups who qualify -- ask Jesus to guide you to the one where He would have you to be a part.
HEBREWS 10:25 NKJ
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.7. Help Reach Your World People all around you need to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord to help you to share this good news with them. He will help you to do it in the right way and at the right time.
MATTHEW 28:18-20 NKJ
18 Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.8. Walk In Love In Christ's kingdom, His commandment is to love others. You can do it with His help. Whenever we step out of love, we give opportunity to the devil.
JOHN 13:34 NKJ
34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.You must forgive others as Christ has forgiven you.
EPHESIANS 4:31-32 NKJ
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.9. Dealing With Your Enemy People are not your enemies. The devil may work through people, but they are not your enemies.
EPHESIANS 6:12 NKJ
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.The devil and his forces are your enemies. But you have authority over them, in Jesus' Name.
How To Recognize Him JOHN 10:10 NKJ
10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.Anything that does not line up with God's written Word is of the devil. Whatever steals, kills, or destroys, is of the devil.
How To Resist Him MATTHEW 4:10 NKJ
10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "You should resist the devil the same way Jesus did. Speak directly to him, quoting the Word of God, and he will flee from you.
EPHESIANS 6:16-17 NKJ
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;10. Dealing With Temptation Temptation itself is not sin. You cannot help being tempted. Even Jesus was tempted -- but He never yielded. God has promised help and victory.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 NKJ
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.Temptations do not come from God. The devil is the tempter. Scripture tells you to resist him (James 4:7).
JAMES 4:7 NKJ
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.JAMES 1:12-15 NKJ
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.We should not entertain thoughts of sin. If we do not think it, we will not do it. Avoidance is the best medicine for temptation. It is best to prevent the problem before it has a chance to grow.
PSALM 119:11 NKJ
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.When Jesus was tempted, He quoted the written Word of God to the devil. We should do the same. Talk back to temptation!
Do not just try not to think or do bad -- fill your mind with good, and there will be no room for the bad to take root.
Remember, the Greater One lives in you. He will help you to overcome. You are an overcomer.
If You Do Sin 1 JOHN 1:9 NKJ
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.God made provision so you can be forgiven. Whenever you do sin, instantly confess it, and receive your forgiveness by faith. Never let the devil have any place by harboring unconfessed sin in your life. Not even for a minute.
11. Center Your Faith In Jesus Stay in faith. You do not know everything. Jesus does. Trust Him and praise Him even when you do not understand what may be happening.
Jesus is the Author and Finisher of your faith. Your goal should be to please Him -- not people. After all, He is the Judge.
People can, and probably will, disappoint you. Even if they are other Christians, do not base your faith on them. People can miss it and make mistakes. They fail, but Jesus never will. Do not allow what others do to control your life. Keep your eyes on Jesus -- He will never disappoint you.
Keep your faith in Jesus. He called you and He will keep you. He will complete what He began in you.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:24 NKJ
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.2 THESSALONIANS 3:3 NKJ
3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.PHILIPPIANS 1:6 NKJ
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
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